execution; rapid in pursuit; fertile in expedients; unattainable in retreat; often exposed, but never surprised, never disconcerted; eluding his enemy when within his fancied grasp; bearing upon him with irresistible sway when of force to cope with him in the conflict of arms. And what is this but the diary of Lafayette, from the day of his rallying the scattered fugitives of the Brandywine, insensible of the blood flowing from his wound, to the storming of the redoubt at Yorktown?”

"None knew thee but to love thee,

Or named thee but to praise."

""Twas his, in manhood's blushing prime, to tread
Imperial halls with coroneted head;

To bask in royal smiles, or lead the dance
Amid the gayest, gallantest of France;

Or, gladly loosed from grandeur's courtly thrall,
At gentle Hymen's sweet enticing call
To seek his princely home, and fondly rest
His honour'd brow on wedded beauty's breast.

And never more the youthful lord shall leave
His blooming Eden and his blushing Eve,
But softly yield to love's voluptuous hours
His princely fortune and exalted powers;
Oh! sooner deem the spider's brittle tie
Could hold the eagle from his native sky,
Than that luxurious indolence could bind
One little hour that angel-pinion'd mind!
E'en now he springs from love's inglorious rest
With arm'd right arm and wildly-heaving breast;
What stirring thoughts his youthful heart inspire?
Why burns his eye with unaccustom'd ire?
Lo! on his startled ear the winds have blown
The clank of chains where bleeding millions groan,
And swift he breaks from nature's dearest ties,
In Freedom's cause life, all to jeopardize;
While every charm to home and Hymen wed,
Is crush'd like flowers beneath a giant's tread.

Far o'er the deep, with hopes unspurr'd by fame,
The warrior-pilgrim in his glory came,
Pour'd his full purse in Freedom's empty hand,
And with her foremost sternly took his stand;

Fought, bled, nor falter'd till the strife was o'er,
And the last foe was hunted from her shore."

CHAPTER XII.

Washington prepares for another Battle-Armies separated by a Storm-Massacre at Paoli-Howe takes Philadelphia, or Philadelphia takes Howe-Congress retires to Lancaster-Howe attempts to open the Delaware-Washington surprises Howe at Germantown-Battle of Germantown-Retreat of Washington in one Direction and the Enemy in another-Philadelphia in a kind of Blockade.

"They fought like two contending storms that strive to roll the wave."

THE night after the battle of Brandywine, the American army, leaving three hundred killed, six hundred wounded, and four hundred prisoners, retired to Chester, and the following day to Philadelphia, by the way of Darby. Some of the troops were stationed in the environs of Germantown, and others were sent to the right bank of the Schuylkill, to watch the movements of the enemy and repress their incursions, while Washington conferred with Congress.

On the 15th he returned to camp, led all his forces to the right bank of the Schuylkill again, proceeded along the Lancaster road to the Warren tavern, with the intention of risking another engagement. Howe, receiving intelligence of the approach of the Americans, advanced to Goshen, when the two armies being only five miles from each other, preparations were made for battle. The advanced parties had met, when such a violent storm of rain came up that the soldiers were obliged to cease their fire. Washington re-crossed the Schuylkill at Parker's Ferry, and encamped on Perkioming Creek.

General Wayne had concealed himself in the woods near the left wing of the enemy, with 1500 men, with the design of harassing the rear of their army. This being discovered by the spies of Howe, he sent a detachment in the night to surprise him. Wayne's outposts were killed; and as orders had been given to use the bayonets only, the British troops rushed into the American encampment, before the alarm was

given, and a dreadful slaughter ensued. Three hundred were killed and wounded, and one hundred taken prisoners; and nothing but the coolness of Wayne saved the whole corps from being cut off. He quickly rallied a few regiments, who withstood the shock, while the others retreated. The bayoneting was carried to such a cruel and unnecessary degree, that the affair has been called the Paoli massacre.

The enemy now made such dispositions as led Washington to suppose they intended to cross the Schuylkill above his encampment, and seize the extensive military stores at Reading; and he retired up the river to Pottsgrove. Howe, changing his course, crossed the river at Gordon's, and at Flatland Ford, and encamped upon the left bank. Thus, situated between the American army and Philadelphia, nothing could arrest the progress of the enemy but another battle, for which the multitude called loudly, to rescue the city. The prudence of Washington, however, dictated a different course than blindly to risk all at an inauspicious period, and when no reinforcements had arrived.

On the 26th, Howe advanced to Germantown, six miles from Philadelphia, and on the succeeding day, Lord Cornwallis, at the head of a strong detachment, took possession of Philadelphia. Congress retired to Lancaster; and placing their hopes and their unbounded confidence in the commander-in-chief, invested him once more with dictatorial

powers.

Washington descended along the Schuylkill until he arrived within sixteen miles of Germantown, and encamped at Shippack Creek, to wait until his wisdom or the providence of God should open the way for new enterprises, enabling him to strike again for the salvation of the infant republic.

The attention of General Howe was directed to the reduction of some forts on the Delaware, and the removal of the chevaux-de-frise, composed of immense beams of timber, fastened together, stuck with iron pikes, and sunk across the river, just below the mouth of the Schuylkill. The object of the enemy was, of course, to open a communication between the fleet and the army. On the approach of the enemy to

wards the lower barrier, the Americans, unable to sustain an assault, spiked their guns, and precipitately retired; when the British, with great labour and perseverance, cut away and hauled up enough of the chevaux-de-frise, to open a narrow passage for their ships. But we shall see hereafter, that this was not the only obstruction to the navigation of the river to Philadelphia.

The British army at Germantown, being sensibly weakened after these detachments were despatched, one to take Philadelphia, and the other to the forts of the Delaware, Washington, who had reposed at Shippack creek, like a lion couchant, shook off the morning dew, and began to roar again. He resolved to fall upon the British encampment unexpectedly, and beat them in detail.

The battle of Germantown, though well planned, and commenced with every prospect of victory, soon became a scene of inextricable confusion, owing to the dense fog, which forbade that concert of action, so essential to avoid disorder. Each officer, unable to look far beyond his nose, has given a different account of many of the manœuvres and incidents which occurred. A battle in a fog is a Gordian knot for the historian.

At seven o'clock in the evening of the 3d of October, Washington quitted his encampment, and at the dawn of day the next morning commenced his attack on Howe, who is said to have exclaimed, "My God! what shall we do? We are certainly surrounded.”

We have now on our table fifteen different descriptions of this battle, and, unwilling to enter into a discussion (which would occupy too much space) to reconcile conflicting opinions, we shall transcribe Botta's account, which we believe to be the best, and which sets forth, in a striking manner, the consummate skill and military talents of Washington.

A high estimate of a man's military character is too often formed from his turbulent spirit; his imprudent daring or headlong impetuosity is often regarded as genuine courage and military skill. Such a man looks only to the present, and would risk all in a single engagement. But a man like

Washington looks far into the future, risks nothing where the loss might be irretrievable, and always calculates profoundly how far he may risk without permanent injury to his cause, in case of check. When defeated, he repairs his losses with so much despatch, that he is soon able not only to hold the enemy at bay, but to fight him again, or even turn his own defeats to his advantage. The character of the one dazzles the superficial observer; while the apparent tameness of the other seems to him like mediocrity of talents! The one may with propriety lead the head of a column to the attack; but it requires the other to conduct a campaign. The good account to which Washington turned his defeats, we shall presently see.

We love to moralize, but having so many battles to fight yet, they leave us no room for such reflections; besides, it is generally best to let every man draw his own inferences from facts, instead of the author obtruding his own biassed notions upon the reader. To illustrate this position, we shall merely remark that when the British authors denounce the French revolution; the character of its illustrious leaders, and the spirit of republicanism, on the same page; and attribute all the dreadful reverses of that nation to a want of obedience to the divine authority of her kings, they moralize most abominably. Their reasoning and moralizing amounts to this.

"Germantown is a considerable village, about half a dozen miles from Philadelphia, and which, stretching on both sides of the great road to the northward, forms a continuous street of two miles in length. The British line of encampment crossed Germantown at right angles about the centre, the left wing extending on the west from the town to the Schuylkill. That wing was covered in front by the mounted and dismounted German chasseurs, who were stationed a little above towards the American camp; a battalion of light infantry and the Queen's American Rangers, were in the front of the right. The centre, being posted within the town, was guarded by the fortieth regiment, and another battalion of light infantry stationed about three-quarters of a mile above the head of the village. Washington resolved to attack the